Signal-lanterkr



PIERCE & 'AUSTIN.

Signal Lantern.

Patented Nov. 10, 1857.

UNITED STATES J. R. PIERCE AND L. B. AUSTIN, OF OSYVEGO, NENV YORK.

SIGNAL-LANTERN.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 18,602, dated November 10, 1857.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J OHN R. PIERCE and LEAVITT B. AUSTIN, both of thecity and county of Oswego and State of New York, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Signal-Lanterns; and we do hereby declare that thesame is described and represented in the following specifications anddrawings.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention wewill proceed to describe its construction and operation referring to thedrawings in which the same letters indicate like parts in each of thefigures.

Figure l. is a front elevation of asignal lantern the left hand halfshowing a section on the line h, Fig. 2. Fig. 2. is a plan or top viewthe right hand half showing a section on the line j, Fig. 1.

The nature of our invention and improvement consists in providing anextension chimney to a traversing lamp in a signal lantern havingseparate apartments, to prevent the smoke of the lamp from fouling theglasses and obscuring the light when used in either of the apartments.

In the accompanying drawings A, is the bottom of the lantern, perforatedto admit air to supply the lamp, and provided with a perforated rim B,upon which the lantern stands. The bottom A, is connected to the top C,by the front bars D, D, and side plates E, E, which with the cross barsF, F, form the frame of the lantern. The ears G, G, are fastened to thetop C, for the bail G, by which the lantern may be suspended.

The hoop H, surrounds the perforated chimney I, and is fastened to thetop 0, by the brackets H, so as to break the force of the wind, andprevent it from blowing into the chimney and extinguishing the lamp.

The interior of the lantern is divided into three apartments, by twohorizontal partitions J, J, opposite and fastened to the bars F, F,:these apartments may be provided with glass of different colors so as toshow light of the color required for the signal to be given. The lowerapartment has transparent glass, the middle red, and the upper green, sothat the color or colors shown will depend on the position of the lamp,thus if the lamp is in the lower apartment, the light will be white, orits natural color; if in the middle red, and in the upper green; and ifthe lamp is placed opposite to the lower partition the light will be redand white; and if opposite the upper partition, the light will be greenand red; so that with a lantern of three colors and apartments fivesignals may be given.

The top C, bottom A, front bars D, D, and cross bars F, F, are providedwith flanges which form grooves to receive the edges of the glass, whichmay be shoved into them and secured by the moldings K, hinged to thetop, bottom and cross bars, so as to close or shut over the ends of theglasses and hold them in; which moldings are fastened by the rods L, L,which pass through brackets M, M, fastened to the top and bottom forthat purpose.

To prevent the glass from being broken there are some wire bows N, N,fastened to the top bottom and cross bars as shown in the drawing. Therings 0, O, fastened to the sides near the upper rear corners may beusedfor fastening stay lines to hold the lantern in the positiondesired. There is a flange projecting outward on the back of the lanternwhich is surrounded by the flange of the door P, which door is hung withhinges and provided with a sliding bolt to fasten it.

The horizontal partitions are perforated so as to permit the lamp andextension chimney to traverse through them. The lamp Q, sets into thecup R, which cup may be lowered into a recess in the bottom A, when thelamp is to be used in the lower apartment.

The cup R, is provided with a bail S, which has two ears T, T, whichtraverse on the two rods U, U, fastened to the top and bottom so as tosteady and guide the cup, and the lower end of the extension chimneyconnected to the hail of the cup by the cross V, which is fastened tothe bail S, and to the lower section W, of the chimney. The extensionchimney is composed of a series of joints W, V, which slide into eachother like the tube of a common telescope the smallest and upper jointbeing fastened to the top of the outer chimney, and provided withopenings, one of which is shown by dotted lines at X, Fig. 1, for thesmoke of the lamp to pass into the outer chimney I. This extensionchimney is made so long, that when the lamp is in the lower apartment,the lower joint comes a little below the lower partition J, so as toprevent the light from shining or the smoke from passing into the middleapartment.

The cup R, is made the same size as the lower section of the chimney, sothat when the lamp is in the middle or upper apartment it prevents thelight from shining into the apartment below. The sections W, have aflange on the outside at their lower ends, which catch under the flangeon the inside of the upper end of the section neXt below it to hold itup when the chimney is eX tended; and there is a flange on the outsideof the upper ends of the oints, which rests on the top of the oints nextbelow, when the sections are run into one another.

To traverse tne lamp and chimney and hold them in the desired position achain or wire cord Y, should be fastened to the bail S, and passed overa sheave in the bracket Z, fastened to the top of the chimney I, andthrough the side of the top and hoop H, and fastened to the ring a, so,that by pulling the ring a, and hitching it under the hook b, the lampwill be raised to the middle apartment. If the lamp is wanted in theupper apartment hitch the ring under the hook c,- if the lamp is wantedto light both the upper and middle apartments hitch the ring under thehook (Z.

If it is desirable to change the lamp from one apartment to anotherwithout lowering the lantern it may be done by fastening a cord to thering a. v

The reflectors may be made in the form shown at e, or in such other formas may be preferred and provided with a tongue to slip under the bracketf, fastened to the partitions for the two upper apartments and for thelower apartment the reflector may be slipped into some pronged bracketsfastened to the bottom A.

The perforated chimney I, fits onto a flange on the top 0, and isfastened by a horn from a spring which forces it through the flange andthe top.

Some of the advantages of our invention may be enumerated as follows:1st. A direct light is shown in all the directions required by law, andnot a mere reflected light as in some of the lanterns heretofore made.2d. The light is always seen through a single thickness of glass whichis of the greatest importance, particularly so with the green lightwhich is always weak and faint. 3d. The glass is so arranged that it canbe readily replaced on shipboard in a few minutes when broken. 4th. Byusing a single glass which is always exposed to the external air, sothat it does not collect moisture, and thereby the sweating incident todouble glass is avoided, which sweating is a great inconveniencerequiring the glass to be removed and wiped frequently. 5th. The chimneyis so arranged that the smoke of the lamp always escapes without foulingthe glasses. the light from one apartment to another are so simple thatthey are not likely to get out of order. 7th. The light may be changedfrom one apartment to another so as to show signals of different colorswhile the lantern is aloft by a single halyard or line. 8th. Theconstruction of this lantern is such that it gives a full side lightnearly as strong as the front light: and five signals may be given withglasses of three different colors.

We contemplate that skilful artisans will make such modifications of ourinvention, as will adapt it to the purposes for which it is intended,without departing from the principles or merits of our invention.

We believe we have described and represented our improvements in signallanterns, so as to enable any person skilled in the art to make and usethem.

We will now state what we desire to secure by Letters Patent to wit:

What we claim is- The combination of a traversing chimney and lamp, soarranged as to avoid the bad effect of the lamps smoke in signallanterns; in the manner set forth.

JOHN R. PIERCE. LEAVITT B. AUSTIN.

Witnesses:

JOHN NEWMAN, DANIEL H. MARSH.

6th. The devices for changing.

